Music-roll for mechanical musical instruments.



C. A. AHLSTROM.

1 1 49, 3 1 7 Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

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MUSIC-ROLL FQR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 191 5.

Original application filed April 6, 1914, Serial No. 829,864. Divided and. this application filed July 27, 1914.

, Serial No. 853,319.

, ments in Music-Rolls for Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

The invention relates to, music rolls for mechanical musical instruments such as piano players and the like, and the present improvement is a divisional application of the construction shown in the application filed April 6th, 1914, Serial No. 829,864;

and the object of the improvement is to provide spools for the note sheets in the roll box of a mechanical musical instrument having shafts which'taper from the middle portion toward both ends to draw the note sheet in true alinement upon said spools by the draw of the sheet on the enlarged middle portions; and the invention consists in the novel features and combinations hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a'front ele-,

vation of the spool or music roll cabinet of a player piano with both the upper and lower spools thereintapering from the central portion toward each end, the upper spool and the music sheet rolled thereon be ing shown in lengthwise section to show the enlarged circumference of the central portion of the spool shaft in comparison with the ends and the straight music sheet roll.

Fig. 2 is a lengthwise sectionalview of'the' shaft of the lower spool showing its tubular construction with the flanged ends thereon and the annular central groove. Fig. 3 is a lengthwise sectional view of an upper spool, showing a modification of the construction whereby the enlargement of the central portion of the shaft is attained by means of a tapered strip of paper which is wound about the shaft thereby gradually enlarging the central portion, the wider end of the strip being first wound about the shaft and finishing with the narrow end.

Like-numerals of reference refer to cor responding parts in the several views.

The numeral 10 designates the shaft of an upper music spool, and the numeral 11 the shaft of the lower music spool, which shafts may be turned from wood, this material being preferred for the lower shaft 11, or made of some light form of tubing like metal, wood fiber, or paper pulp, which may be given the central enlargement 12 and diminishing taper 13toward each end.

The shafts l0 and 11 have the central enlargement and tapered ends to cause the note sheet 14 to run truly in line with said shafts as said note sheeti winds onto the same, the main drawing points being the enlarged central portions 12, so that the tapered ends 13 do not in anywise interfere with or draw upon the music sheet 14 and thereby gradually draw it out of line as it is rapidly rolled upon the spool.

The enlargement 12 of the upper spool is preferably formed in the body of the tube by gradually tapering each of the ends 13 from the central enlargement l2. Said tapered ends 13 are preferably straight taper while the central portion 12 is given a slight equal curve extending an equal distance each way vfrom the middle. of the shaft so as to receive and draw truly upon the music sheet 14. The enlarged portion 12 on the lower spool extends out each way from the central attaching groove 15 within which the hook 16 is placed for attaching the end of the music sheet 14 to the lower roll 11. 7

Each of the spools 10 and 11 are provided with flanged ends 17 which are formed with prO ecting portions 18 fitting within the ends of the tubular shafts 10 and 11. The lower spool is sometimes a fixed part of the spool box 19, that is, it is not made removable, but it is usually preferred that it should be removably mounted within the spool box 1-9 so that it may be quickly taken therefrom the same as the top roll either for repair or for insertion in another player without rerolling. V The upper spool is usually removably mounted in the spool box 19. The two spools are so arranged on each side of the tracker bar 20 that the music sheet 14 draws truly over said tracker bar as it draws from the enlarged central portion 12 of one spool to the enlarged central portion 12 0f the other, thereby holding the music sheet in perfect alinement between the flanged ends 17 as it is obvious that the central enlargement is the same on the lower spool 11 as on the upper spool 10 even though the enlargement is each side of the annular groove 15 on spool 11.

. around the In the modifioatioii shownin 3, a

straight tube 21 isbuilt up around the periphery of its central portion, the tapered enlargement of said central portion being attained by mean of a tapered strip of paper or other material 22 which is wound tube 21 preferably beginning with the widest end of the strip and finish.-

ing-with the narrow end, the gradual'taper is usually preferred to mold or turn the peripheries of the shaft even though they may be builtup, since they will drawomore correctly upon the music sheet '14. The note she t 14is attached to the upper spoolshaft lO preferably by means of a flex- 'ible strip around the central enlargement and to the lower spool shaft 11 by means of the hook 16, thereby attaching the note sheet at both ends central of its lengthwise portion to the central enlargements of the shafts so that whether winding or rewinding the notesheet draws true to both the upper and lower spools and the tapered ends 13 do not in anywise bind or misdirect the note sheet 14 in rewinding, there being a space 23' between the inner wrap of the note sheet 14 and the periphery 18 around the ends of the shafts 10, Her '21. It is apparent that the curve of the centrally enlarged portion 12 is important since it must be exactly the same on both sides of the center of the shaft otherwise, the note sheet would not wind 7 onto thesh'aft in line with the same. It is,

however, much easier to give a true curve to the central portion than to make the entire shaft exactly true and the central draw upon the notesheet over the enlargements 12 perunits of greater freedom in the mounting of the spools since if said central portions are in line with one another it is not so important as to the remainder of the spools.

The end flanges 17 are inserted in the preferred tubular shaft construction shown without other attachment than the fit of said ends within the tubes and the ends of the tubular shafts form stops for the end flange 17, the round projecting portions v18 of the end flanges-17 forming a strong attachment between the tubular shafts 10 or 11 and the end'flanges 17 Thetuhular shafts 10 or 11 are made longer than the width of the note sheet 14 so that the ends of the tubular Copies of this iatent may be obtained for shafts 10 form a positive inward stop for the end flange 17 This arrangementof the end flanges 17 in combination with the enlarged central portion 12 and taperingends 13 oftlieshafts 10 and 11 forms a sim ple and durable spool construction which gives perfect freedom to the edgesof the note sheets as they are rolledthereon.

It is apparentthat since the enlarged cen-' tral portion of the "shaft'of' the music roll causes the musicsheet to, stack or roll evenly thereon and in line. withsaid shaft as itis rolled upon the same, the end flanges '17 may be dispensed with for some purposes, their only offlce being in controlling the music sheet when it isl'oose or entirely without y tension on the spool shaft. 7 I claim as new V 1. A music roll'spool comprising a sha'ft of largestldiameter' at or near the central portion and tapering toward both ends from said central portion to cause the music sheet to draw in-true alinement thereon.

2. A music roll spool comprising a shaft a of largest diameter at or near the central portion and tapering toward both ends from sa1d central portlon to cause the music sheet to draw in true 'alinement thereon, and end flanges for said shaft.

3. A music ,roll'spoo-l comprising a shaft having a centrally enlarged portionandtapering toward. bothends, attachment; for the note sheet to said centrally enlarged for the note sheet to said centrallyenlarged portion of said shaft to draw in alinement therefrom, and end flange for said spool shaft. p

4. A music roll: spooll comprising end flanges, a shaft 'between'jsaid flanges, and," means for building up the central portion of the outer periphery ofsaid shaft to provide a central enlargement and tapered ends to give a central draw-' on'thev music sheet in rolling and rerolling.

5. A music roll spool-consisting of end flanges, a shaft between said flanges, and a tapered strip attached around the central portion of said shaft to provide a central enlarged portion for sa1d shaft and glve a central draw on the music sheet 1n. rolling and rerolling. p g In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses;

' a 5 CHARLES A. AHLSTROM., Witnesses:

H. A. SANDBERG, I-I-AnoLn Fonsnnne'.

five cents @5011; by addressing the m sioner of mum, Washingtomfl. n k T i 

